Advanced
Education in General Dentistry | Endodontics
| General
Practice Residency
Orthodontics |
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery | Orofacial
Pain and Oral Medicine | Pediatric
Dentistry
Periodontology | Prosthodontics
| The School of Dentistry offers advanced dental education programs in Advanced Education in General Dentistry, Endodontics, General Practice Residency, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontology and Prosthodontics, all leading to a certificate in a clinical specialty. The School of Dentistry in conjunction with the Graduate School also offers a combined program in Orthodontics and Craniofacial Biology, in Pediatric Dentistry and Craniofacial Biology and Periodontics and Craniofacial Biology leading to a Master of Science degree and a certificate. In conjunction with the School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry offers a combined program leading to a M.D. degree and a certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. In addition to clinical seminars and clinical experience, students take basic science courses with advanced students from other departments. The certificate curriculum consists of a core of basic science subjects in addition to clinical seminars and clinical experience. Elective subjects may also be selected by the student with the approval of the program director. The estimated lengths of programs are as follows:
Admission Requirements Applicants must hold the Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Medical Dentistry degree and must present the appropriate degrees, approved transcripts and affidavits as prescribed by the Office of Dental Admissions and Student Affairs. Graduates of foreign dental schools are generally not eligible to apply to the Oral Surgery or General Practice residency programs. Admission Procedures Applicants to USC's Advanced Programs, with the exception of the Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine residency program - contact Office of Admissions to apply to this program, are required to apply through the American Dental Education Association's (ADEA) Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS). PASS is a centralized application service providing standardized biographical and academic information to more than 400 postdoctoral programs. PASS information and printable or electronic applications can be obtained online by visiting the ADEA website. You may also submit your request in writing to: PASS, 1625 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Suite 600, Washington DC 20036-2212, or online at www.adea.org. Prospective students may request general information specific to USC from the Office of Dental Admissions and Student Affairs. For selection and admission to the Periodontics/CBY, Orthodontics/CBY, and Pediatrics/CBY programs, applicants are required to take the Aptitude Section of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE); a score of 1000 (verbal and quantitative) or above is desired for Pediatric Dentistry. For selection and admission for Orthodontics and Periodontics/CBY, a combined score (verbal and quantitative) of 1200 or better is required. The last acceptable test date is September of the year preceding desired admission. For further information regarding the GRE, applicants may contact the Educational Testing Service: (609) 921-9000 or visit www.gre.org. The following list of application procedures and requirements is intended to serve as a guide only. For more specific application procedures and requirements refer to the "PASS, Post Doctoral Application Instruction Booklet, 2003". The following material is required to complete the PASS application:
Supplemental Materials to be sent to Dental Office of Admissions and Student Affairs
Other Admissions Requirements and Procedures
Admission TimetableApplications for admissions to advanced programs and supplemental materials must be received as follows:
Completed applications and related information are reviewed first by the faculty of the department of interest. In selecting applicants for admission the faculty considers academic records and personal qualifications. Final approval for admission rests with the advanced education coordinating committee, Office of Admissions and Student Affairs and the Office of Graduate and International Admission. Responsibility for advising the student after admission rests with the department chair. Financial Assistance GME funding may be available for admitted students who qualify. Applicants for Advanced Programs are advised that financial assistance is limited, therefore, all applicants are urged to carefully examine their financial resources before accepting an offer of admission. Permanent residents and U.S. citizens are eligible for financial assistance through the university or U.S. banks. It is university policy to accept candidates who have the personal financial resources to pay for graduate study. Foreign students are usually ineligible for financial assistance through the university or U.S. In no case is financial assistance available to foreign nationals attending school on student visas. Student Visas The I-20 Student Visa is issued to the applicant only after complete admission and acceptance has been granted. Before the papers can be processed, a notarized bank statement of financial support for tuition and expenses for one year ($70,000) must be presented to the Office of Dental Admissions and Student Affairs. These materials must be submitted at the time of application. The Office of Graduate and International Admission will issue the I-20 visa upon receipt and approval of these documents. Orientation A general orientation session is usually held the first week of classes. Incoming students are acquainted with the School of Dentistry, its policies, procedures, faculty and facilities. More specific orientations are offered by the individual programs. Student Issue -- Advanced ProgramsDental units in the school's clinics are equipped with midwest type tubing and couplers for low and high speed air hand pieces. Advanced students must provide their own adapters to fit the school's couplers unless the students' present hand pieces are already so modified. The Dental Bookstore will assist in such conversions, if necessary. The bookstore has some low speed air hand pieces available for rent. Students accepted into an advanced program should consult their program directors about needed equipment. | Endodontics
| General
Practice Residency
The advanced endodontics certificate program is a two-year course of study that begins the first of September each year. This program provides students with the background information and clinical experience necessary for a specialist in the practice of endodontics, and also offers activities in research and teacher-training for students interested in academic endodontics. Emphasis is on the interaction of this specialty with other specialties and with general dentistry. The program prepares its graduates for competency in five areas of endodontics: clinical, surgical, research, biological basis and teaching. The program in endodontics is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. | Endodontics
| General
Practice Residency
The general practice residency program is a 12-month, full-time residency program designed in conformance with the guidelines of the Council on Dental Education and the Commission on Accreditation of the American Dental Association. A certificate is awarded upon satisfactory completion of the program. The program is conducted primarily at the Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center, one of the nation's largest teaching hospitals and at the Los Angeles Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic. Some of the training is also conducted at Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center and the School of Dentistry. Under supervision of the faculties of the Schools of Dentistry and Medicine, the resident rotates through oral surgery, emergency medicine, anesthesia, care for the handicapped and other disciplines. Approximately 60 percent of the resident's time is devoted to delivery of oral health care. The program emphasizes the treatment of a wide range of oral health disorders, medical considerations related to dental care, the ability to treat medically compromised and handicapped patients and teaches how to provide dental care in a hospital environment. Residents receive a monthly stipend during their training program. The program in general practice is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. | Endodontics
| General
Practice Residency
The advanced education program in orthodontics is a 36-month combined program leading to a Master of Science degree in craniofacial biology and a certificate in orthodontics. This program can also lead to a Ph.D. track for the interested student. The curriculum is designed to prepare students for academic careers as clinical scholars through the integration of the basic sciences with orthodontic education, as well as to provide the clinical experience necessary for the practice of orthodontics. The program in advanced orthodontics is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education and meets the educational requirement of the American Board of Orthodontists. | Endodontics
| General
Practice Residency
The advanced education program in oral and maxillofacial surgery is a continuous 48-month course of study that prepares the graduate for the practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery. The program in oral surgery is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. The program also meets the requirements of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. The program is conducted at the School of Dentistry and at the LAC + USC Medical Center. The course provides graduates with the necessary background for certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Certificates are awarded upon successful completion of the 48-month course. | Endodontics
| General
Practice Residency Advanced Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine The advanced orofacial pain and oral medicine program consists of a 24-month program leading to a certificate in orofacial pain and oral medicine. This program can be combined with a Master of Science or a PhD degree in craniofacial biology for the interested student. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to work as specialists in this area. The program consists of a series of didactic courses where the students will gain knowledge about the diagnosis, pathobiology and treatment of different oral and maxillofacial diseases. In addition to these courses the student will gain clinical experience diagnosing and treating patients with the following diseases: temporomandibular disorders; infectious, dysplastic, neoplastic proliferative, erosive and ulcerative oral and pharyngeal mucosal diseases as well as the common perioral-facial cutaneous diseases. The student will also learn about and work with patients who have various salivary, neurogenic, osseous and odontogenic infections, tumors and diseases including oral neuropathic pain, oral spasticity, migraine, tension type and chronic daily headache disorders. This program is eligible for accreditation by both the American Academy of Orofacial Pain and the American Academy of Oral Medicine. To download an application (pdf version) for this program CLICK HERE. | Endodontics
| General
Practice Residency
The advanced pediatric dentistry certificate program is a 24-month course of study designed to provide students with the background information and clinical experience necessary for the practice of pediatric dentistry. The program in pediatric dentistry is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. The program also meets the educational requirements of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. First year studies emphasize advanced pediatric dentistry theory and clinical treatment of the normal child. Students develop a sound basis in genetics, growth and development, behavior management, physical evaluation, hospital dentistry, anesthesiology, research methodology, statistics, conscious sedation, interceptive orthodontics, prevention and a review of pediatric dental literature. Second year studies concentrate on dental care of children with physical, mental and emotional disorders. The second year student serves as a hospital-based resident at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center or Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. Students gain experience in performing operating room procedures, general anesthesia techniques, conscious sedation and treating children with medical disabilities and pathologies in the hospital environment. In addition to the two-year program, opportunities are available to combine the basic certificate program with a master's degree in Craniofacial Biology (CBY) in a 36-month program. The purpose of the combined pediatric dentistry/craniofacial biology program is to prepare highly qualified specialists in pediatric dentistry who can assume leadership positions in dental education, service to the community, dental research and dental care of children with developmental disabilities and medically compromising conditions. The structured curriculum of this three-year program offers a strong didactic component in basic biological science and in clinical sciences as well as intensive clinical dental training. | Endodontics
| General
Practice Residency
The advanced periodontology program offers two options:
The program in periodontology is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation, and the United States Department of Education. The program also meets the educational requirements of the American Board of Periodontology. Preparation for the certification process is an integral part of the curriculum, and all graduates are expected to become diplomates. The curriculum provides a sound foundation in those basic sciences and medical subjects which apply directly to clinical periodontics. Emphasis is placed on the interaction of periodontics with other specialties and general dentistry. The central theme of the curriculum is that periodontology is the science basis to all of clinical dentistry. The program is structured to produce skilled periodontists with the technical and scientific abilities to provide periodontal services to the community and to prepare students for teaching careers. This program also provides a portion of the requirements necessary for an advanced degree in a basic science. A core oral biology curriculum combined with fundamentals of physical diagnosis, anatomy, pathology, microbiology, research interpretation and design, and pharmacology constitute the biological foundation upon which the advanced postdoctoral student builds his or her skills. The program provides knowledge and clinical expertise in all types of periodontal treatments required for the practice of oral health care including the placement and care of implants. Clinical experience in pharmacosedation and treatment of special care patients is available for those who are interested in these fields. The program faculty believes that graduates should be dedicated to the concept of being a continuous student and should contribute to periodontics and to dentistry by practice, education, publication and/or research. | Endodontics
| General
Practice Residency
The program in advanced prosthodontics is a 36-month course of study designed to teach didactic and clinical skills leading to competency in the specialized practice of prosthodontics. The program provides a basic science foundation for clinical and technical skills, incorporating studies in physical diagnosis, anatomy, oral pathology, pharmacology and oral biology. Since proficiency in all elements of prosthodontics is required, equal emphasis is placed on fixed and removable prosthodontics. Periodontally compromised patients are frequently encountered, so the program is allied with the advanced program in periodontics and integrated patient care is stressed. A research methodology course and a research project are required. Technical skills essential to prosthodontics are basic to specialty practice and this aspect is emphasized. Clinical experience in implant and didactic study in maxillofacial prosthetics are offered: students who want more experience in clinical care may devote more time to treating these patients. The program in advanced prosthodontics is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, a special accrediting body recognized by the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation and the United States Department of Education. The program also meets the requirements of the American Board of Prosthodontics. A certificate is awarded upon successful completion of the program. | Endodontics
| General
Practice Residency
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